This week we’re going to explore the 5 common mistakes that you need to avoid when you are actively job hunting. And how to avoid them.
These are the mistakes that I see women making time and again.
Everything I’m sharing with you in this series, is based on my experience of taking 100s of women through my LinkedIn training, my career coaching or when I’ve run in-house redundancy transition programmes.
What I’m sharing this week is typical of the tips and tricks that I also share in my Career Conversations group on Facebook.
Today we are going to start by looking at how clear you are about your skills and strengths.
How lack of clarity messes up a successful job search
One of the most common reasons that women come to me to fast track their job hunt, it’s because they lack clarity about their own skills and strengths.
That sounds daft doesn’t it. How can you not know what you’re good at?
Yet somehow, when I ask women to list their skills and strengths, they really struggle.
Moreover, they’re not sure what it is they do that’s a) enjoyable and b) valuable.
It’s important to get clear on what you love doing (and what you don’t love too).
Why clarity is so important in your job search
So that when you apply for roles, you can showcase your skills and strengths, in the application.
So that you apply for the right roles.
So that when you go to interview, you speak with confidence and clarity on what you can bring to the organisation.
But very often we can’t see the wood for the trees.
What comes easily to you?
Think about the skills that come easily to you. What strikes you as common sense? What are the skills and strengths that you take for granted?
What do your co-workers or your manager say about you? What comes up in your performance reviews?
Ask for feedback
One thing you can do if you’re not sure about your skills and strengths, is to ask for feedback.
Keep it short and sweet – here’s some text to get you started:
“Hey Jane, I’m thinking about my next career move. It would be really helpful to have your objective feedback on what you see as my key skills. Thanks so much.“
5 mistakes to avoid when you are actively job hunting
Today was the first in a series exploring the 5 mistakes you need to avoid if you want to be successful in your job hunt.
Tomorrow we’ll look at how not to tackle job applications.
For more tips like this, join my Career Conversations group on Facebook.
p.s. if you’re actively job hunting, facing redundancy or going back to work after a career break, you’ll love Job Search Confidence, a 12 week structured job search programme. Get crystal clear in your job search goals and become the stand out candidate for your dream job – before you even apply!
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